Latest news with #fortuneTelling
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
In Thailand, where mysticism thrives, AI fortune telling finds fertile ground
When Whan consulted her new fortune teller about the future of her relationship with her boyfriend, she was told that one half of the couple tended to be sulky, while the other would over-analyse things. The fortune teller recommended that they try to be more open with each other. But the advice on the future of the relationship didn't come from a human – it came from ChatGPT. In Thailand, a country with a rich tradition of fortune telling, Whan, 28, is among a growing number of young people turning to ChatGPT for answers about their future. On social media, users share advice on how to upload pictures of their palms for palm readings, and of their birth charts, which show the positions of the planets at the time of their birth. Usually, if Whan wants to see her fortune teller, she needs to book an appointment months in advance - and pay 599 baht [£13.55] for a one hour session. So, when she saw comments on social media praising the accuracy of ChatGPT's readings, she decided to give it a try. She typed into the chat box: 'I saw many people have asked you about their fortune based on a birth chart. Can you do it for me?' It replied: 'My pleasure', before asking the time, date and location of her birth. Satisfied with her first reading, Whan, who asked to use only her nickname, later uploaded a picture of her face for a face reading, and asked ChatGPT to analyse her compatibility with her boyfriend. The importance of fortune tellers - called 'Mor Doo,' meaning 'doctors who see' - dates back centuries in Thailand, a majority Buddhist country, where culture is shaped by astrology and other forms of divination. Fortune tellers are consulted by anyone from politicians or wealthy business people weighing up investment decisions, to students nervous about their exam results or curious about their love life. Estimates of the size of the market for spiritual goods and services vary, though last year the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce suggested it was worth between $304 and $456m. Research produced in January by Krungsri Bank found that younger people were most likely of all generations to buy such products online, and that of the growing range of spiritual services offered through digital technologies, fortune telling applications drew the most interest from all ages. Jirapat Wangcharoen, 27, a content creator focused on astrology and spirituality, has benefited from the rising trend. On his TikTok account Nesh the Wizard, he has shared advice using ChatGPT, with one video last October liked by tens of thousands of users. Jirapat researched the use of AI as a personal navigation tool while studying his Master's degree in Australia. 'My key takeaway was people just want to take their anxieties away as soon as possible,' he said. 'If they have a question at night, at 1am, they don't want to linger on that… They go to ChatGPT or TikTok live to ask the question.' 'It's easier for them [young people] to talk to robots rather than humans,' he added. While fortune tellers can easily be found on social media, or sitting at tables outside temples, people often prefer to use someone they trust and have consulted previously, or who has been recommended. This can mean they need to wait for an appointment. Ruchi Agarwal, assistant professor of anthropology at Mahidol University, said curiosity about the future peaks in times of instability. 'If you look at the past trends, whenever there was economic crisis or political crisis, then there was always a search for either spirit mediums or fortune tellers – just as a psychological remedy, or for finding some solution to the uncertainty they face,' she said. This is also the case for younger people today, who have lived through political instability and the pandemic, and who are also, she said, 'more in their silos, and more attached to social media'. Ajarn Par, or Master Par, an astrologist based in Huai Khwang, an area of Bangkok known for its popular Ganesha Shrine and fortune tellers, agreed that younger people are searching for meaning. 'It's [a way of building] emotional resilience in an uncertain world,' she said. 'Young people have a feeling of [a lack] of control.' Some have raised concerns about the risk of giving AI tools with personal information such as photos or birth details. And, opinions are divided over whether ChatGPT or other AI tools will have long-lasting appeal among those interested in astrology. Ajarn Par believes ChatGPT may be capable of relaying data about astrological principles, but she questions its benefits. 'To give proper guidance, you need to have lived experience… [human fortune tellers] have the feeling of human intuition,' she said. She likens fortune tellers' role to that of a therapist, someone people can consult in their most difficult moments. None of this can be replicated by a computer, she said. 'A robot cannot touch your feelings.' For Whan, there are positives to consulting both humans and ChatGPT. With a human teller, she said, you can see their face and reactions. But with AI: 'you can just use it right away - and you can keep asking them.'
WIRED
31-05-2025
- General
- WIRED
Never Drink Alone: A Guide to Turkish Coffee
Not quite espresso and not quite drip, Turkish coffee is more than a morning pick-me-up. It's a social activity rooted in cultural tradition. Courtesy of Denmex; Elite; Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Out of all caffeinated rituals, Turkish coffee takes the (coffee) cake. That's because, according to some experts, Turkish coffee isn't a type of coffee—it's a cooking method. Commonly seen across Middle Eastern cultures, the beverage looks and acts similar to espresso, served in a small cup and tasting very rich yet very different. Turkish coffee is made with coffee ground finer than espresso (the ideal Turkish coffee grind has a flourlike consistency) and a brewing process that involves boiling three times. It's an unfiltered drink, so the coffee grounds eventually settle to the bottom of the cup. The grounds make for a thick drink, but they also play an important role in the auspicious ritual of fortune telling, a practice that ultimately inspired my love for the brew. My introduction to Turkish coffee was with my sister's Iranian family (we have different fathers. Her father, Ali, is from Iran). Upon visiting them to celebrate the Persian New Year, my sister's aunt made Turkish coffee after dinner one evening and a family friend proceeded to 'read' the coffee grounds and tell us our fortunes (I dive into the specifics of this process more below). While I cannot adhere to the validity of fortune telling, I will say that the family friend predicted I'd have a son. That was over 10 years ago. At the end of 2024, I gave birth to my first child, a healthy baby boy. But you don't have to get your fortune told to enjoy Turkish coffee. You also don't have to search too far and wide across the coffee forums to find strong opinions about the strong coffee and how it should be made. This was possibly my biggest setback in research, as there are those who suggest beginning the brew with hot water, while others suggest cold water. Some suggest sugar, others without. Some suggest high heat, others low. You might have even seen Turkish coffee being prepared in sand. (The owner at my local Palestinian deli tells me that this is mostly a tourist gimmick.) So, to the coffee nerds, the anal and the meticulous, if you're hoping for a 'right' way to make Turkish coffee, I hate to disappoint you. Those who make Turkish coffee in their home regularly measure and brew with their heart, and each household has a similar but almost always slightly different method. It's your preferences that will ultimately guide the ins and outs of your brewing. Table of Contents Turkish coffee is often served in a cup that's usually no more than 2 ounces. It might look similar to espresso, but while espresso is brewed under high pressure, Turkish coffee is brewed by boiling finely ground (even more fine of a grind than espresso) coffee in a cezve . A cezve (referred to as an ibrik in other countries like Palestine) is a small pot with a long handle, usually holding around 10 to 15 ounces and made out of copper. Generally, Turkish coffee is boiled in the cezve in three parts. After each boil, a small amount is poured into the coffee cup. The cezve is returned to the stove after each pour until you've filled your cups. The process of boiling the coffee multiple creates a thick and frothy coffee that is very strong and very aromatic. Ideally, Turkish coffee is ground with a traditional Turkish coffee grinder like this. Because Turkish coffee is ground to a fineness that most commercial coffee grinders cannot achieve, your best bet is to buy it pre-ground (I've suggested a few brands below). I almost considered using my Sana Grain Mill (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to see if I could achieve the grind, but didn't want to risk the coffee flavor in my homemade flour. Traditionally, finely ground Turkish coffee is mixed with water in a cezve, along with some sugar, depending on your preferences. You'll bring the coffee to a boil on low/medium heat over an open flame, usually in three parts. The first boil will develop a foam (think crema, as seen in other coffee drinks). This foam is essential to Turkish coffee, as the drink's frothy thickness makes it stand out from others. Some recipes suggest using a spoon to scoop the initial foam into your prepared cups. Otherwise, you'll use the cezve to pour it into your prepared coffee cups a little at a time. Put the cezve back on the stove to boil and repeat this process twice more until you've filled your coffee cups to the rim. As I mentioned earlier, it's important to note that, unlike other coffee styles in which technicality is prioritized with scales and thermometers, you'll see neither of these aspects come into play when making Turkish coffee. With roots that date back to the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, Turkish coffee is a drink integrated into and born of a culture. So, think of Turkish coffee like your grandma's cooking—a recipe acts as a guide, but it is ultimately a process that is led with the heart. You may not place much stock in auspicious practices, and I don't blame you. But in case you're curious, there are traditions to be respected. The fortune-telling process begins once you've finished your drink. You'll place your coffee cup upside down on its saucer. The grounds will drip and scatter, and this is what the fortune teller will analyze to determine your fortune. Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Just as my family friend read my coffee grounds on that fateful day 10 years ago, the practice of fortune telling through Turkish coffee should be done by someone who is experienced in the craft. It is strongly suggested that you do not try to read your own fortune. This act of fortune telling also establishes something important when it comes to Turkish coffee: It's a social activity—something meant to be enjoyed with company. It's not a science. A great example of this is my local Palestinian deli using hot water to make its Turkish coffee. Beginning with hot water may go against what some coffee aficionados recommend (beginning with cold water is usually ideal for any brewing process to achieve optimal flavor and extraction), but many places selling Turkish coffee do this to speed up the process and serve their customers more quickly. When making the recipe below, don't focus on being too technical. Yields 2 2-ounce cups of Turkish coffee 1 cezve 2 small (2 oz.) coffee cups 2 heaping Tbsp Turkish coffee 6 ounces water 1 tsp sugar (optional) Combine Turkish coffee, sugar, and water in your cezve. Stir until combined. Put cezve over a low/medium gas stove flame and slowly bring to a boil over a couple of minutes (if it boils too fast, it's harder to develop the initial foam). Once boiling to the top, quickly take the cezve off the stove and pour a small amount into your prepared cups (about half an ounce). Return the cezve to the open flame and bring to a boil. Repeat steps 3 to 4 twice more until you've filled your cups to the brim. Serve immediately. You can prepare Turkish coffee over a non-gas stove, although it will take longer When I say heaping, I mean heaping ! Don't be afraid to indulge. ! Don't be afraid to indulge. My local Palestinian deli grinds cardamom into its coffee. It takes the flavor to the next level.
